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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775127">waking city</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/obscurityofphylum/pseuds/obscurityofphylum'>obscurityofphylum</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Fluff, Klaus is a good boyfriend, Klave, M/M, Stars, dave has nightmares</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 20:07:40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>673</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23775127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/obscurityofphylum/pseuds/obscurityofphylum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“look at the stars.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dave/Klaus Hargreeves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>waking city</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>dave coughed as the metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, the stench of napalm hanging heavy in the air as he gasped for oxygen. his lungs felt like somebody had pierced spikes through his chest, and no matter how hard he tried to breathe, his throat wouldn't cooperate and left his vision blurring at the edges.</p><p>he heard klaus's echoed voice, and then klaus rolling him over onto his back. his klaus. dave tried to speak as klaus's frightened eyes surveyed the wound on his chest, shaky hands futilely applying pressure to the bleeding. </p><p>"no, no, no dave, dave stay with me-" klaus begged, holding dave's head in his hands. dave was vaguely aware of the fact that he was choking on his own blood, and his chest ached in a way that made his ribs vibrate. </p><p>everything was getting cold. cold, and dark. he must've looked frightened, because klaus held him tighter and ceased his begging for dave to hold on, resorting to just trying to soothe him.</p><p>"it's okay, i'm here, i've got you-" klaus mumbled, his voice shaky with tears. dave was fading fast, he could feel the distant drumming of his heartbeat in his ears, slowing like a tired race dog. </p><p>he went limp in klaus's arms, his chest numb and his head buzzing. as soon as his limbs turned to jelly, they seemed to stiffen right back up, becoming rigid.</p><p>he shot upwards, bracing himself with his hands flat on the bed behind him. he searched in the dark to find klaus, who was already wrapping himself around dave, only reaching away for a moment to turn on the lights.</p><p>“you’re okay, sweetheart. you’re here with me, i’m not gonna go anywhere.” klaus reassured him when dave whined at the loss of one of klaus’s arms around his neck as he turned on the lights. with the pale yellow lamp illuminating the room, dave could see that his bare chest was slick with sweat that ran in rivulets down his torso.</p><p>his hands journeyed up to the center of his chest involuntarily, surveying for anything out of the ordinary. new scars, bruises, bullet holes. finally content that there was not in fact a piece of metal lodged into his ribs, he settled back down, his head resting into klaus’s shoulder.</p><p>“you’re gonna be alright. i know it’s hard to relive it, but you’re safe with me now.” klaus said. “breathe, honey.” </p><p>they held each other for a long time. klaus was deep in thought as he rubbed dave’s back comfortingly. he remembered the nights of being in the valley, unable to sleep in the stuffy barracks that smelled of sweat and blood. </p><p>he remembers going outside, sitting on the edge of camp trying to process how the hell he had landed in vietnam. dave sitting down next to him, staring up at the sky in comfortable silence.</p><p>dave had told him to look at the stars when he was upset. and for the first time, klaus appreciated the bright little spots that freckled the darkness.</p><p>“dave. look at the stars.” klaus said, pointing out the window near the bed. dave untangled himself from klaus, craning his neck to gaze up at the view of the sky from the little window. </p><p>klaus, still holding his hand, patiently led him over to the window, not minding that dave was still shaking and his face was red with tears. the other man climbed nimbly onto the windowsill, and dave followed suit after a second, settling down with the cold brick beneath him. </p><p>klaus grabbed dave’s hands in his, rubbing circles on one of the blond man’s palms with his thumb as rain drizzled softly, not nearly enough to warrant going back inside. he listened as they danced on the roof, the droplets pattering onto the metal. klaus met his gaze and pressed his lips on dave’s, sweet and feather-soft. when they pulled away, dave smiled.</p><p>there they sat, four in the morning, watching the stars dance over the waking city.</p>
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